Two Short e Reads From St. Martins

St. Martin's has a couple of bridge/prequels out for the upcoming Chevy Stevens and Linda Castillo releases, Always Watching and Her Last Breath - both due out June 18. They're short so I figured I'd just do the two of them together in one post today.

First up "The Other Side" by Chevy Stevens.

The Campsite Killer case has been dragged out for quite some time but the recent discovery that the killer fathered a child with his one surviving victim has given the police hope of finally catching him. The case hits a little too close to home for Staff Sergeant Sandy McBride, though, bringing up bad memories of her own mother's murder. And while Sandy herself was witness to the event - her own father brutally killed her mother while the young girl hid in the bedroom closet - her father disappeared and the case was never closed.

This one is more of a bridge and refresher for Stevens fans. The upcoming Always Watching features Dr. Nadine Lavoie, the therapist from both Still Missing and Never Knowing. "The Other Side" is told from the perspective of Sandy McBride, one of the officers on the Campsite Killer case in Never Knowing, touching on some of the events of that previous release but also going into much more detail about Sandy herself. Considering it's been a couple of years since Never Knowing hit shelves, it was a nice refresher course and a fun little short as well. And while Nadine is only a tiny part of the story, "The Other Side" is a nice way to jar the memories of both of Stevens' previous stories just in time for Nadine's starring role in Always Watching.

In Linda Castillo's "Long Lost,"Kate Burkholder and John Tomasetti are taking a much needed two day vacation when they learn that the B&B they're staying at is supposedly haunted. The ghost is said to be that of a girl who went missing over twenty years earlier and while they're supposed to be off the clock, Kate can't help but be intrigued by the old case. She and a reluctant Tomasetti decide to offer their help but can they solve the mystery that has eluded officials for so long?

This one was really fun. It doesn't tie into any of the other series installments at all, it's simply an extra little story featuring the two series leads. Fans of the series will enjoy this extra little outing while waiting to get their hands on Her Last Breath.

Both shorts are out now but only available in e format. They each include an excerpt of the respective author's upcoming release as well.